Waitrose sales rise despite tough Olympic comparison

Waitrose posted a 4.2 per cent increase in total divisional sales last week (excluding fuel) despite a challenging comparison last year with the Olympic Closing Ceremony.

Warmer food such as pasta and Indian ready meals were up by 17 per cent as people adapted to the cooler weather, with frozen pizzas and frozen chips sales also rising strongly.

The supermarket chain continues to expand its portfolio with new stores springing up in Aylesbury and on the Leckford Estate. The retailer said that trading had been ‘strong‘ in the few first days at the farm shop at Leckford, which sells over 1,000 products concentrating on locally and regionally sourced food.

John Lewis finished the week with a sales boost of 7.1 per cent on last year as yearly sales reached £65.07m.

Its Northern stores delivered a 10.5 per cent increase with Chester, Trafford and Glasgow posting the strongest sales figures.

The John Lewis website continued to do well and achieved a 21.4 increase in sales with the online electrical sales trend continuing with sales up 39.4 per cent ahead of last year. John Lewis added it was looking forward to the back to school rush at the end of the month.

David Barford Director of Selling, London and South said: “The Back to School, College and University trade is really picking up across the branches now and as we see this grow in intensity we are well placed in shops and online to maximise the opportunities ahead.”